1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to spacer blocks for a pipe beveling and/or welding machine. More particularly, this invention relates to spacer blocks which can be attached to the saddle for such a machine so that the welding, cutting or beveling instrument attached to the machine moves concentrically around the pipe.
2. The Prior Art
There are devices in the art which are adapted to weld, cut or bevel pipe by travelling around the circumference of the pipe. These devices are generally mounted on a saddle which may include a partial ring gear. The cutting, welding or beveling devices will either ride on or with the ring gear. For the sake of economy (in capital investment) a given saddle is generally adapted to work in conjunction with two or more sizes of pipe. The adjustability of the saddle is generally accomplished by interposing spacer elements between the saddle and the pipe.
One method of spacing, used in the prior art, involves the use of four spacer rods which are attached to the saddle by means of screws or bolts. The four rods would be of a certain length for a 4-inch pipe, a different length for a 6-inch pipe, and a still different length (shorter) for an 8-inch pipe. Thus, a person who wanted to accommodate his saddle for the three different sizes of pipe referred to above would have to keep three sets of rods, or a total of twelve rods, at all times. In the past, users have experienced problems in the loss or misplacement of these rods.
A preliminary search was conducted on the above invention and the following U.S. Patents were uncovered in the search:
______________________________________ Inventor U.S. Pat. No. Issue date ______________________________________ Singer 2,517,510 August 1, 1950 Sherer et al 4,007,705 February 15, 1977 Stubbings 4,051,342 September 27, 1977 Slavens et al 4,260,869 April 7, 1981 ______________________________________
None of the above patents are deemed to be of sufficient pertinence to require any comment, except for the Singer Patent 2,517,510.
The Singer U.S. Pat. No. 2,517,510 shows an adding machine stand wherein a bar 11 can be held in position on a board 4 by means of pins -5 which extend through holes 12 in the bar 11 and into holes 18 on the board 4. Note that the bar 11 can be variably positioned on the board 4 because there are a plurality of spaced holes 18 on the board. The bar 11 is used to hold an adding machine 8 in position on the stand 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the forward edge of the board 4 is behind the front leg 10 of the adding machine 8 and the bar 11 is in front of the rear leg 9 of the adding machine 8. Thus, depending upon the distance between the front and rear legs of the adding machine, the bar 11 can be positioned to accommodate this distance.
FIG. 7 of the Singer patent shows an arrangement wherein the bar 11 is pivoted 90 degrees and the pin 15 is inserted through a hole 16 which is transverse with respect to the original hole 12. This arrangement will elevate the rear of the adding machine to a higher position in the event that the adding machine is provided with an oil pan which will then be positioned between the spaced arms 14 of the bar 11.
Although the Singer patent was located in an extensive search of the art, it is not believed that the man skilled in the pipe beveling art would even be looking at the Singer patent as it comes from a totally unrelated art.